Different Types of Edits

When most new writers approach the end of their first draft, they start questioning the editing process. This post is here to help you get started. For a quick summary, check out this page.

“What are my next steps?” Check out the page Your Editing Steps for help on this!

“How do I find an editor?” Here is where it gets tricky. There are multiple types of editors and multiple types of edits! It really helps your search if you have an idea of what you need. Keep in mind, you don’t need to know everything. Good people in a group, or a good editor if you approach them, can help you. Sadly, the editing world can't even agree on editing terms, so be sure to explain what you want. Some of these terms have more than one name, and there is only a general agreement as to what each edit is. Confusing! But here are some basics!

Developmental editing

This is the first step/option in professional editing. Developmental edits come after some self-editing and after alpha readers and more revisions but before beta readers.

Developmental editing is sometimes called content editing. More confusion on this later. I've also heard developmental editing called structural editing, but sometimes that's a separate thing too!

Developmental editing looks at the big picture. Things that, if done incorrectly, will affect your entire story and usually require a whole manuscript redraft to fix. I know that sounds scary, but this is why this step is done early in the process.

What do I mean by “big picture?” Perspective (head hopping, point-of-view consistency, scene perspective choices, etc.), plot (main plot, sub plots, plot holes, dropped plots), characterization (well-developed vs. shallow, voice consistency), setting (location, cultural development), pacing (is any part of the story rushed or slow?), timeline consistency (linear vs. nonlinear, time gaps), and storytelling (how scenes start and stop, flashbacks, info dumping), just to list a few.

If the service is for a developmental edit, the author will typically get an editorial letter and in-manuscript comments. A smaller developmental service is called a manuscript evaluation and will offer a less thorough but still valuable editorial letter.

Not all manuscripts need a developmental edit. An experienced author writing a simple story could skip this step while a new author or someone writing an epic story filled with plot-twists and/or multiple character perspectives would surely benefit.

This is a deep and detailed edit, so for more information on developmental editing, read the Developmental Editing blog post.

Line editing

Note some editors offer line and copy editing together instead of as separate services while others split them. These two edits exist in a bit of a gray area as there is no universal agreement where one starts and ends in relation to the other. It is important to make sure you thoroughly communicate with your editor on what you both expect and agree to before the work starts.

Line editing is sometimes called content editing. Yes, just like sometimes developmental editing is. I wish the editing world would come to some sort of universal agreement on terms!

A line editor deals with each individual sentence and how it fits into a paragraph. The words are paid close attention to for clarity, meaning, and style. The editor makes sure the sentence and paragraph make sense, flow well, and are not redundant. Examples are pointing out the same word or phrase used multiple times in a paragraph, sentence or paragraph transitional issues, awkwardly worded sentences, or if unnecessary filler words are present. A line edit may offer another word choice for clarity or to support tone. They’ll point out when a character says something out-of-character. They’ll fix run-on or dangling sentences.

Line editing is not about removing the author’s unique voice. In fact, a good line editor will work to preserve this voice. These edits are not to bring a manuscript more in line with the editor’s personal preference but to clean up and streamline a manuscript for ease of reader understanding.

Copyediting

Refer back to the gray-area note in the line editing section above.

At its most fundamental level, copyediting is about correcting technical issues. Punctuation, grammar, spelling, syntax errors, extra spaces, etc. A copyeditor will pay attention to consistency (Did the character’s shirt change color? Did the parked car move to a different street? Does a name have multiple spellings in the manuscript?) and, if agreed upon, will also do fact-checking (Does this street really exist in the real, mentioned city? Is it really a one-way, and if so, which direction does it go?). They will use the correct style guide for that type of document (academic paper, science article, news article, fiction/nonfiction manuscript) and, if there is a publisher or company, their in-house style guide in conjunction to make sure rules and best practices are followed for consistency and reader expectation.

I know some of you just cringed when I said, “rules and best practices.” Hear me out. Putting a period at the end of a sentence is a rule and best practice. Starting a sentence with a capitalized letter is as well. These guidelines have developed over millennia for smooth, consistent reading. Did you know ancient Greeks didn’t use spaces in between words and paragraphs? Doesn’t that sound difficult to read?

Many readers may not know what a grammar rule is, and they may not even be able to point an error out, but they can often tell something isn’t quite right given everything else they’ve read. Still, most people know what the point and use of a question mark is, and using it incorrectly may make them think less of the author. Other readers know very well a comma was left out leaving a potentially confusing sentence. Copyeditors seek to prevent reader confusion and judgement against the author.

But copyediting isn’t just knowing the rules. It’s also about knowing which rules can be broken and how. It’s about understanding which items are more subjective than others, how the same style guide can be used for both fiction and nonfiction, and what genre-specific expectations are.

The editor will produce something called a stylesheet and give this to the author once the project is completed. A stylesheet typically contains things like a list of characters and their important characteristics, locations, events, a list of any words checked, abbreviations, foreign or created words, hyphenated words, and the choices used for technical things plus their style guide citations. This is very useful to provide to a proofreader in the next step! It’s also helpful to stay consistent if there is a next book in the series.

Copyediting is a type of editing I don’t believe anyone should ever skip.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the very last step in an editing process. The proofreader combs through the manuscript one last time to catch any errant technical issues. They do not make or recommend major changes. Editors are only human, after all, and no one can catch every little mistake (Software isn't any better, and often times, it's worse. Check out the post Software vs. Human Editor for more information). Fresh eyes help clean up the manuscript.

Acquisition Editor

Just to throw a little more on your plate, there is also an acquisition editor. This is not what probably comes to mind when you hear “editor.”

An acquisition editor is someone from a traditional publisher who identifies and acquires manuscripts they’d like to publish. They will receive a manuscript, typically through an agent, and read it to see if they like the story, if they believe it fits with the publisher’s goals, and if they believe it is marketable. Working with agents and authors, the acquisition editor will assist in guiding the manuscript through the publishing process. They will assist in contracts (including royalty negotiations), suggest some story changes (publishers are often looking for a certain type of story), assist in book cover concepts, and participate in marketing.

Have more questions about types of edits or ready to discuss your project? Reach out to me using the Contact page!